Witches have been transformed into caricatures of the old crone or the beautiful seductress, but once upon a time the figure of the witch commanded huge fear. Are we right to have lost this fear, or are we laying ourselves open to something much worse?

h/t to Scary Stories listener, SK

***

Episode page

Transcript

Facebook group

Twitter

Instagram

While spirit possession can seem like a superstitious throwback to a bygone era, it is an ever increasing phenomenon in the modern world. If you believe in possession, it is a terrifying prospect. It shows that evil is alive and well and waging a war on humanity. But even more horrifying, is what it means if possession is not real.

h/t to Scary Stories listener, Greg Carcione

***

Episode page

Transcript

Facebook group

Twitter

Instagram

Scary stories are as old as history. They have permeated every culture and to this day we happily regale each other with tales of torment and horror on darkened nights. But what if these stories are telling us something important? What if they are there to protect us?

***

Episode page

Facebook group

Twitter

Instagram

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. That holiday of good cheer and sweet kisses under mistletoe, when we should all be gloriously happy. So why aren’t we? Because Christmas is a lot darker than you think.

***

Episode page

Facebook group

Twitter

Instagram

Though we live in the present, humans are preoccupied with their future. It is uncertain and we find that deeply unsettling, so we look for any means to try to control it. But if we could really see into our futures, would we really like what we saw?

***

Episode page

Facebook group

Twitter

Instagram

Arachnophobia and entomophobia are two of the most common fears out there. For even the most steeliest of us, arthropods tend to induce a rather unique response. But what is it about our miniature neighbours that we find so disconcerting, and are we sure they are of what we should be scared?

***

Episode page

Facebook group

Twitter

Instagram

The fear of cults was particular to the 20th century. They were seen as dangerous groups that spirited away our youth and transformed them into murderous criminals. But we should take a moment and ask ourselves whether the threat of cults has really disappeared?

***

Episode page

Facebook group

Twitter

Instagram

Monsters are an intrinsic part of the human imagination. We fear them instinctively as children and then indulge in them as adults. They can both fascinate and horrify us and at the same time offer amusement. But when our Halloween costumes are put away for another year, are we sure we want to know who the real monsters are?

***

Episode page

Facebook group

Twitter

Instagram

There was once a time when being buried alive was a cause of rather more serious concern. But with the advent of modern science and a better understanding of human anatomy, there is nothing for us to be scared about anymore, is there?

***

Episode page

Facebook group

Twitter

Instagram

It seems like every year there is a new prediction about the impending apocalypse. We’ve lived through Y2K and the end of the Mayan Calendar, but humans have been predicting the end times for thousands of years. But there is something different to the current predictions of scientists. And maybe this time, we really will live to see the end of the world.

***

Episode page

Facebook group

Twitter

Instagram